My work is informed by working with the other artists involved in Emerge 2017.

We shared our stories together during our visits to the Art Gallery of New South Wales and workshops at the Hub. This interaction inspired the creation of this world. It’s been a big journey.

I’m inspired by working with people with diverse abilities including people with sensory needs, such as impaired vision and hearing. Through this relationship, I realised the importance of engaging all the senses when experiencing art and that for some people, touching the art is their only way of experiencing the work.

I have made this work interactive so that visitors can touch the work and have a sensory experience.

My work commemorates the diverse group of people I worked with by casting a series of their faces in multicoloured resin. Each face is unique and beautiful in its own way. You can’t see disability in the faces.

Each story is unique. I wanted to include the participants in the creative process, so each cast has been set in the participants' favourite colour combination.

If I hadn’t met this group of people, I wouldn't have made it.

The artist wishes to thank the artists of Emerge 2017 for their cooperation and participation in the creation of this work. Special thanks also goes to the team at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and the Front Up team for their support.

Emerging Faces of Front Up, by Ray Morgan, 2017, was exhibited at the Onion Reality exhibition at Front Up, 9 – 11 Rowley Street, Seven Hills, NSW, from 27 February to 3 March, 2018. Ray was a participant in the Emerge 2017 program supported by Ability Options, the Art Gallery of New South Wales and Accessible Arts. It is funded by Ability Options, the Packer Family Foundation and Crown Resorts Foundation. The program is focused on supporting practicing artists with disability.

For more information on the work of Ray Morgan, please contact Front Up.